Joe Ely, Texas country-rock legend and collaborator with the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, dead at 78

Joe Ely, a singer-songwriter and foundational fig successful Texas’ progressive country-rock scene, has died. He was 78.

According to a connection from his representatives, Ely died Dec. 15 astatine location successful New Mexico, from complications of Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s illness and pneumonia.

Ely had an expansive imaginativeness for state and rock, heard connected singles similar “All My Love,” “Honky Tonk Masquerade,” “Hard Livin’,” “Dallas” and “Fingernails.” Born successful 1947 successful Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised successful Lubbock earlier moving to Austin and kicking disconnected a caller epoch of state euphony successful the region, 1 that reflected some punk and the heartland stone of the epoch backmost into the roughhousing state scenes they came from.

After founding the influential set the Flatlanders with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock (which dissolved soon aft signaling its 1972 debut), helium began a solo vocation successful 1977. He released respective acclaimed albums, including 1978’s ambitiously rambling “Honky Tonk Masquerade,” earlier uncovering his fashionable highest connected 1980’s harder-rocking “Live Shots” and 1981’s “Musta Notta Gotta Lotta.”

Ely, beloved for barroom poesy that punctured state music’s mythmaking, was a acceptable collaborator crossed genres. He befriended the Clash connected a circuit of London and sat successful connected the band’s sessions signaling their epochal “London Calling” LP. He aboriginal toured extensively with the group, singing backup connected “Should I Stay oregon Should I Go,” and earning a lyrical tribute connected “If Music Could Talk” — ”Well determination ain’t nary amended blend than Joe Ely and his Texas men.”

Ely was a favourite opener for seasoned stone acts looking to imbue sets with Texas state swagger. He performed with the Rolling Stones, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and Bruce Springsteen, who aboriginal sang with him connected “Odds of the Blues” successful 2024. Springsteen erstwhile said of Ely: “Thank God helium wasn’t calved successful New Jersey. I would person had a batch much of my enactment chopped retired for me.”

In the ‘90, Ely joined a supergroup, the Buzzin Cousins, with John Mellencamp, Dwight Yoakam, John Prine and James McMurtry, to grounds for Mellencamp’s movie “Falling From Grace.” Robert Redford aboriginal asked Ely to constitute worldly for his movie “The Horse Whisperer,” which led to collaborations with his aged Flatlanders bandmates and a reunion successful the 2000s. He besides acted successful in the philharmonic “Chippy: Diaries of a West Texas Hooker” astatine Lincoln Center successful New York City and joined the Tex-Mex corporate Los Super Seven — helium shared successful the band’s Grammy for Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance successful 1999, his lone specified award.

Ely was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame successful 2022 and released his past album, “Love and Freedom,” successful February.